Flooding can be devastating for home owners but these tips could prevent
heartbreaking and costly repairs.

1. Move costly possessions and important documents - shift valuable and electrical goods off the floor for their own protection, ideally upstairs.

2. Protect soft furnishings. Rugs can be moved upstairs if flooding looks likely and you can throw curtains over their rails to protect them

3. Stock up on sandbags - buy in flood boards and sandbags to block doorways with, as these will help you fight the flooding and protect your home.

4. Protect irreplaceables. Items of sentimental value, such as photos, should be packed in waterproof bags and put somewhere safe, ideally upstairs. No amount of insurance money can bring these back, so put them out of harm's way.

6. List useful contacts - write down important numbers such as your home insurance provider and policy number, and Floodline (0845 988 1188). Keep this information to hand.